take the reins
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idiom

take the reins

Meaning
to take control or responsibility
Example
After the director retired, she **took the reins** of the company.
idiom

stand on your own two feet

Meaning
to be independent and self-supporting
Example
He worked hard to **stand on his own two feet** after college.
idiom

a figure of speech

Meaning
a phrase used in a non-literal way for effect or emphasis
Example
When he said he could eat a horse, it was just **a figure of speech**.
idiom

down on your luck

Meaning
experiencing a period of bad luck
Example
He’s been **down on his luck** since losing his job.
idiom

stick to your guns

Meaning
to remain firm in your beliefs or decisions even under pressure
Example
He **stuck to his guns** even when others doubted him.
idiom

color outside the lines

Meaning
to think or act creatively and unconventionally
Example
Good designers always **color outside the lines**.
idiom

crack under pressure

Meaning
to lose control or fail when under stress
Example
Some people **crack under pressure**, while others thrive.
idiom

keep up with

Meaning
to stay informed or at the same level as something or someone
Example
It's hard to **keep up with** the latest tech trends.
idiom

gear up

Meaning
to prepare energetically for something
Example
The team is **gearing up** for the product launch next week.
idiom

go the extra mile

Meaning
to make a special effort to achieve something
Example
She always **goes the extra mile** to help her team succeed.
idiom

to put two and two together

Meaning
to figure something out from the facts
Example
She didn’t tell me directly, but I **put two and two together**.
idiom

to make the grade

Meaning
to meet the required standard
Example
He didn’t **make the grade** in the final exam.
idiom

sift out

Meaning
to remove unwanted parts from a mix
Example
We need to **sift out** duplicate entries in the list.
idiom

roll with the punches

Meaning
to adapt to difficulties and keep going
Example
Life throws challenges, so we must **roll with the punches**.
idiom

log off

Meaning
to disconnect from a computer system
Example
Don’t forget to **log off** before you leave the office.
idiom

call the tune

Meaning
to be in control; to make important decisions
Example
In this company, the investors **call the tune**.
idiom

a cut above

Meaning
better than others; superior in quality or ability
Example
Her work is **a cut above** the rest.
idiom

Give one’s word

Meaning
To make a sincere promise.
Example
He **gave his word** that he would finish the job.
idiom

an out of this world experience

Meaning
an extraordinary or exceptional experience
Example
The view from the space station was truly **an out of this world experience**.
idiom

get a new lease on life

Meaning
to gain new energy or enthusiasm for something
Example
After the surgery, she felt like she had **got a new lease on life**.
idiom

hook the audience

Meaning
to capture and maintain the interest of the audience
Example
You need a strong headline to **hook the audience** immediately.
idiom

let off steam

Meaning
to release strong emotions or energy
Example
I went to the gym to **let off steam** after a stressful day.
idiom

take the blame

Meaning
to accept responsibility for something wrong
Example
He decided to **take the blame** for the team's failure.
idiom

lose ground

Meaning
to lose advantage or control in a situation
Example
During the talks, one side began to **lose ground** quickly.
idiom

pan out

Meaning
to turn out well or produce a good result
Example
Luckily, our backup plan **panned out**.
idiom

machine learning fairness

Meaning
the concept of ensuring that machine learning models make unbiased, equitable decisions.
Example
The research team focused on improving **machine learning fairness** to eliminate discrimination.
idiom

hold yourself accountable

Meaning
to take personal responsibility for your actions
Example
You must always **hold yourself accountable** for your actions.
idiom

move up

Meaning
to advance to a higher level or position
Example
She hopes to **move up** to a senior role next year.
idiom

Keep your head above water

Meaning
Manage to survive or cope with difficulties.
Example
It’s hard, but I’m trying to **keep my head above water**.
idiom

smoke and mirrors

Meaning
something that is intended to deceive or confuse
Example
The company’s promises were just **smoke and mirrors**.
idiom

on the rebound

Meaning
starting a new relationship soon after a breakup
Example
He started dating again **on the rebound**.
idiom

fake news

Meaning
false or misleading information presented as news
Example
Be careful not to believe in **fake news** spread on social media.
idiom

bend the rules

Meaning
to make exceptions; to modify rules slightly
Example
The teacher **bent the rules** to help the new student.
idiom

take the law into your own hands

Meaning
to punish someone without legal authority
Example
Citizens should not **take the law into their own hands**.
idiom

believe you’re good enough

Meaning
to accept that you are capable and worthy
Example
To overcome fear, you must **believe you’re good enough**.
idiom

top dog

Meaning
the most important or powerful person
Example
He’s the **top dog** in the company.
idiom

tighten the belt

Meaning
to reduce spending; to save money due to financial constraints
Example
In tough economic times, businesses must **tighten the belt** to survive.
idiom

mix up

Meaning
to confuse two or more things
Example
I always **mix up** their names during meetings.
idiom

step on the gas

Meaning
to move faster; to hurry up
Example
We need to **step on the gas** if we want to reach on time.
idiom

beat the algorithm

Meaning
to find a way to outsmart or bypass a system's logic
Example
Marketers always try to **beat the algorithm** for better reach.
idiom

chip off the old block

Meaning
a child who closely resembles their parent in looks or behavior
Example
He’s a **chip off the old block**—just as kind and funny as his father.
idiom

go head to head

Meaning
to directly compete or confront each other
Example
The two negotiators went **head to head** over the contract terms.
idiom

make yourself at home

Meaning
to feel comfortable and relaxed as if you were at home
Example
Please **make yourself at home** while I get the tea.
idiom

Golden handshake

Meaning
A large payment given to someone when they leave a job, especially early retirement.
Example
The CEO received a **golden handshake** when he retired early.
idiom

make yourself clear

Meaning
to express yourself so that others understand you easily
Example
Could you **make yourself clear**, please?
idiom

make progress

Meaning
to move forward or improve
Example
She is slowly **making progress** with her studies.
idiom

go through a transformation

Meaning
to undergo a significant change or improvement
Example
The company had to **go through a transformation** to survive in the competitive market.
idiom

beg to differ

Meaning
to politely disagree with someone
Example
I **beg to differ**, but I think your conclusion is incorrect.
idiom

In a peaceful state of mind

Meaning
feeling relaxed and at ease without stress or worry
Example
After yoga, she felt **in a peaceful state of mind** all day.
idiom

pull yourself together

Meaning
to regain control of your emotions or behavior
Example
Stop crying and **pull yourself together** – we need to find a solution.
idiom

ease into

Meaning
to enter a new activity slowly and comfortably
Example
The trainer helped us **ease into** the new routine.
idiom

faithful to the end

Meaning
staying loyal and supportive for a long time
Example
She was **faithful to the end** in her relationship.
idiom

Money talks

Meaning
Money has great influence and power.
Example
He got the deal because **money talks**.
idiom

on the same playing field

Meaning
in the same conditions or with equal chances
Example
We’re now **on the same playing field** as our competitors.
idiom

a light at the end of the tunnel

Meaning
a sign that a situation will improve soon; hope in a difficult situation
Example
After months of hard work, she finally saw **a light at the end of the tunnel**.
idiom

to cloud-sync

Meaning
to synchronize data or files between devices via cloud services
Example
I always **to cloud-sync** my documents so that I can access them anywhere.
idiom

nip it in the bud

Meaning
to stop a problem before it gets worse
Example
We should **nip it in the bud** before it becomes serious.
idiom

hold up your end

Meaning
to fulfill your part of an agreement or duty
Example
If you **hold up your end**, the project will succeed.
idiom

bad luck

Meaning
unfortunate or unlucky situation
Example
It’s just **bad luck** that it rained on our picnic day.
idiom

have itchy feet

Meaning
to feel a strong desire to travel or move
Example
After a few months at home, I started to **have itchy feet** again.
idiom

couldn't believe my eyes

Meaning
to be so surprised that you doubt what you see
Example
I **couldn’t believe my eyes** when I saw the results.
idiom

make hay while the sun shines

Meaning
take advantage of a good situation while it lasts
Example
You should **make hay while the sun shines** and finish your work early.
idiom

feather in one’s cap

Meaning
an achievement to be proud of
Example
Winning the national award was a real **feather in his cap**.
idiom

give someone the shirt off your back

Meaning
to be extremely generous and selfless
Example
He’d **give you the shirt off his back** if you needed it.
idiom

draw attention

Meaning
to make people notice something
Example
The bright colors **draw attention** to the poster.
idiom

the best of both worlds

Meaning
a situation in which you can enjoy the advantages of two very different things at the same time
Example
She works in the city and lives in the country, so she gets **the best of both worlds**.
idiom

sit on the fence

Meaning
to avoid making a decision or choice
Example
You can't **sit on the fence** any longer, you need to choose a side.
idiom

hold the upper hand

Meaning
to have more power or advantage over others
Example
Negotiations continued, but the buyer **held the upper hand**.
idiom

feel the pinch

Meaning
to have financial difficulties; to feel short of money
Example
With rising prices, many families are starting to **feel the pinch**.
idiom

bootstrapping

Meaning
building a business without external funding
Example
He started his company through **bootstrapping**, using only his savings.
idiom

key in

Meaning
to enter data using a keyboard or keypad
Example
Please **key in** your code before the door locks.
idiom

nose for news

Meaning
an instinct for finding interesting stories
Example
Good reporters have a natural **nose for news**.
idiom

a man of vision

Meaning
a person who has foresight and imagination
Example
He is **a man of vision** who transformed the company.
idiom

hammer home

Meaning
to emphasize something forcefully
Example
The trainer **hammered home** the importance of rest.
idiom

sound off

Meaning
to express an opinion loudly or strongly
Example
Feel free to **sound off** during the feedback session.
idiom

a slap on the wrist

Meaning
a very mild punishment
Example
He got **a slap on the wrist** for such a serious offense.
idiom

political circus

Meaning
a situation where politics becomes chaotic and theatrical
Example
The election debates turned into a **political circus**.
idiom

all smiles

Meaning
very happy and cheerful
Example
He was **all smiles** after hearing the compliment.
idiom

heart skips a beat

Meaning
to feel excited or nervous because of love
Example
Every time he smiles, her **heart skips a beat**.
idiom

cutthroat competition

Meaning
extremely intense and ruthless competition
Example
The smartphone market is a **cutthroat competition**.
idiom

burning ambition

Meaning
a very strong desire to achieve something
Example
He had a **burning ambition** to become a successful entrepreneur.
idiom

play hardball

Meaning
to be firm and tough in negotiation
Example
He decided to **play hardball** during the contract talks.
idiom

a heart of steel

Meaning
someone who is emotionally strong and unyielding
Example
Despite all the challenges, he handled everything with **a heart of steel**.
idiom

straight from the horse’s mouth

Meaning
from the most reliable source; directly from the person involved
Example
I heard the news **straight from the horse’s mouth**.
idiom

mind-blowing

Meaning
extremely surprising or amazing
Example
The view from the mountain was **mind-blowing**.
idiom

build character

Meaning
to develop positive qualities or strength through challenges
Example
Going through this process will **build character** in the team.
idiom

level playing field

Meaning
a fair situation where everyone has equal chances
Example
The new rules create a **level playing field** for all teams.
idiom

Apple of my eye

Meaning
Someone you love dearly.
Example
Her son is the **apple of her eye**.
idiom

play the political card

Meaning
to use a political issue to one’s advantage
Example
The minister tried to **play the political card** to gain public sympathy.
idiom

sort through

Meaning
to organize by separating what is needed from what is not
Example
Let’s **sort through** the survey responses this afternoon.
idiom

by the way

Meaning
used to introduce a new topic or add extra information
Example
**By the way**, did you finish your project?
idiom

a heart of gold

Meaning
someone who is very kind and caring
Example
She has **a heart of gold**, always helping anyone in need.
idiom

as wise as an owl

Meaning
very wise or knowledgeable
Example
My grandfather is **as wise as an owl**.
idiom

malware

Meaning
software designed to damage or disrupt computers or networks
Example
The antivirus software successfully removed the **malware** from the system.
idiom

have a vivid imagination

Meaning
to be able to think of interesting and unusual ideas
Example
Children often **have a vivid imagination**.
idiom

crack down on

Meaning
to take strict action to stop something
Example
The city plans to **crack down on** illegal parking downtown.
idiom

to strike it rich

Meaning
to suddenly become very wealthy
Example
He **struck it rich** by investing in early-stage tech companies.
idiom

set down

Meaning
to place something or write something down
Example
**Set down** your ideas so we can review them.
idiom

a shot in the arm

Meaning
something that gives encouragement or energy
Example
The new funding was **a real shot in the arm** for the project.
idiom

light the fire

Meaning
to inspire or motivate people to act passionately
Example
Her speech really **lit the fire** in the employees’ hearts.
idiom

put on your thinking cap

Meaning
to start thinking seriously about solving a problem
Example
Let’s **put on our thinking caps** and find a solution.
idiom

sugarcoat the truth

Meaning
to make something seem more pleasant or acceptable than it is
Example
Don’t try to **sugarcoat the truth**; we need to be honest about the situation.
idiom

the right thing to do

Meaning
the most ethical or moral action to take
Example
Apologizing was **the right thing to do**.
idiom

to shoot for the moon

Meaning
to aim for a difficult or ambitious goal
Example
He’s always **shooting for the moon**, trying to achieve impossible goals.
idiom

give it time

Meaning
to wait for something to improve or happen
Example
**Give it time**, you’ll see results soon.
idiom

hold your nerve

Meaning
to remain calm and confident under pressure
Example
She **held her nerve** and finished the speech perfectly.
idiom

Cut class

Meaning
To skip a class without permission
Example
He **cut class** to watch a movie.
idiom

bury the lead

Meaning
to hide the most important part of the story
Example
Don’t **bury the lead**—mention the main point first.
idiom

conversion rate

Meaning
The percentage of visitors to a website who take a desired action, such as making a purchase or signing up.
Example
Our **conversion rate** has significantly improved after the redesign of the website.
idiom

lean on

Meaning
to depend on someone for support
Example
You can always **lean on** me when things get tough.
idiom

Hit the wall

Meaning
to reach a point where one is physically or mentally exhausted and cannot continue
Example
I’ve been working all day, and now I’ve finally **hit the wall**.
idiom

to hit the jackpot

Meaning
to achieve great success or gain a lot of money
Example
After years of hard work, she finally **hit the jackpot** with her startup.
idiom

forever grateful

Meaning
thankful for something for a long time
Example
I’ll be **forever grateful** for what you’ve done.
idiom

put one's cards on the table

Meaning
to be honest and open about one’s intentions
Example
The negotiator decided to **put his cards on the table** to speed up talks.
idiom

Build bridges, not walls

Meaning
Make connections and friendships rather than creating barriers
Example
Instead of fighting, let's **build bridges, not walls**.
idiom

a good Samaritan

Meaning
a person who helps others in need
Example
A **good Samaritan** helped the injured man on the road.
idiom

in for a shock

Meaning
about to be very surprised or shocked
Example
You’re **in for a shock** when you see the bill.
idiom

have a short fuse

Meaning
to get angry easily
Example
Be careful what you say; he **has a short fuse**.
idiom

come out clean

Meaning
To be proven innocent or free from blame.
Example
After investigation, he **came out clean**.
idiom

mad scientist

Meaning
a person who is dangerously or foolishly creative or obsessed with experiments
Example
He looks like a **mad scientist** when he’s working in his lab all night.
idiom

bear market

Meaning
a period when stock prices are falling
Example
Many people lose money during a **bear market**.